davidson fellowship newsletter: january 2021 · 2021. 1. 28. · molly wick, university of...
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Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship Newsletter
The �rst class of Davidson fellows has hit the ground running following the program’s o�cial launch in fall 2020. This issue of the newsletter features the fellows conducting research at the Great Lakes and Northeast national estuarine research reserves, and re�ections on
recent professional development.
Fellow Highlights
Molly Wick, University of Minnesota – Duluth and
Lake Superior Reserve, Wisconsin
“The [Davidson] Fellowship is o�ering me an opportunity to
make my research more impactful and relevant for coastal management needs.”
Project title: Climate Change Adaptation and Human
Well-Being in the St. Louis River Estuary
Importance: Climate change disproportionately a�ects
vulnerable populations. It is unclear if climate adaptation
e�orts help address or reinforce those inequities. Molly’s
research will contribute to understanding and addressing
inequity in human well-being outcomes of climate
adaptation projects in the Lake Superior Reserve and
throughout the Great Lakes.
Haley Kujawa, Ohio State University and Old Woman
Creek Reserve, Ohio
“Environmental models are so important in understanding
the world, and they provide valuable insight into solving
issues like climate change and eutrophication. I also really
enjoy coding!”
Project title: Assessing Watershed Impacts of Climate
Change and Land Use in Old Woman Creek
Importance: How watersheds respond to climate change
will be important in understanding how humans then
need to adapt and change. Haley will be using climate and
watershed modeling to get a glimpse of what the future
of Old Woman Creek’s watershed, streams, and estuary
may look like, and assess how improved stewardship
could mitigate these changes.
Anna Lowien, University of New Hampshire and Great
Bay Reserve, New Hampshire
“I am interested in estuarine biogeochemistry because the
estuarine �lter, where the river meets the sea, is an exciting
transitional area where many biogeochemical pathways and
transformations are possible.”
Project title: Biogeochemical Stressors and Ecological Response in Great Bay
Importance: Anna’s research provides new perspectives
regarding Great Bay’s ability to process inputs of nutrients, carbon, and sediments, and will help to identify
thresholds of material �ux that the estuary can
ecologically handle.
Claudia Mazur, Boston University and Waquoit Bay
Reserve, Massachusetts
“[The Davidson Fellowship] allows me to apply my skills as a
scientist to solve and better understand a pressing
environmental issue in my community.”
Project title: Sediment Nutrient and Metal Flux under
Coastal Acidi�cation in a Temperate Estuary
Importance: Claudia is researching the e�ect of coastal acidi�cation on nutrient cycling and removal (i.e., denitri�cation) to better understand how these changes
will alter ecosystem productivity and water quality.
Jessica Brunacini, Michigan State University and Wells
Reserve, Maine
“Coastal communities throughout the U.S., and around the
world, are already dealing with the challenges of planning for
relocation as a strategy for adapting to changing climate
conditions. This research will shed light on e�ective practices
for meaningfully engaging the public in making decisions
about the future.”
Project title: Broadening Public Participation to Build
Coastal Resilience
Importance: There’s no one-size-�ts-all solution for
responding to sea level rise, coastal erosion, and
increased �ooding. Jessica will convene conversations
with coastal communities to collaboratively decide on
their best path forward.
Nia Bartolucci, Boston University and Narragansett
Bay Reserve, Rhode Island
“I think climate change is one of the biggest challenges we
face, and I am greatly interested in helping to �nd ways we
can mitigate climate change, as well as make ecosystems
more resilient to environmental change.”
Project title: Thin-Layer Placement of Sediment Impacts
on Salt Marsh Biogeochemistry
Importance: Salt marshes play a vital role in sequestering
and storing carbon, as well as returning nitrogen to the
atmosphere via denitri�cation. These functions help
mitigate the negative impacts of rising atmospheric
carbon dioxide and nutrient pollution in coastal areas. Nia’s research will help inform coastal managers on how
to make these systems more resilient to sea level rise
while ensuring that these functions are preserved.
Reflections on Professional Development
“Work horizontally to build your networks.” – Margaret A. Davidson
2020 National Estuarine Research Reserve System (and NERRA) Annual Meeting – The
annual meeting brings together all program sectors—management, research, education, training, stewardship, and representatives from the reserve system’s friends and foundations
groups. The goal of the 2020 meeting was to embrace community, share innovation, and
improve inclusivity in a virtual setting.
What did you learn?
“There are a lot of opportunities to work with other reserves on collaborative science
projects. Everyone wants to help one another to protect coastal ecosystems.” – Anna Lowien, Great Bay Reserve
“I learned a lot about what the reserves are doing to address inclusion and diversity, which
included addressing some of the structural barriers to participation (e.g., childcare).” – Haley Kujawa, Old Woman Creek Reserve
How did you expand your professional network?
“I recently had to contact a research coordinator at another reserve, and she remembered
me from the meeting.” – Nia Bartolucci, Narragansett Bay Reserve
“I had the chance to engage with folks from various reserve sectors in the Northeast, and I
also participated in the Coastal Training Program meetings, both of which allowed me to
connect with professionals in meaningful ways.” – Jessica Brunacini, Wells Reserve
Collaborative Science Training Course – One of the key elements of the Davidson
Fellowship program is to develop meaningful cross-discipline research projects in
conjunction with scientists, community leaders, and other organizations. The NOAA Science
Collaborative funded a training for fellows to help plan their projects and ensure that information generated from �eld and laboratory studies is useful for decision-making at the
national, regional, state, and community levels.
How will you incorporate what you learned to improve your project?
“I am currently incorporating what I learned from the collaborative science training to plan
for future research. The training course helped me successfully navigate the Science
Collaborative pre-proposal process with a group of scientists (including myself!).” – Anna Lowien, Great Bay Reserve
“The collaborative science training helped prepare me for the challenges that will come when
conducting collaborative science. The training gave me the con�dence to engage with my
local community and stakeholders early on in my fellowship, and to continue to cultivate
these relationships throughout the entirety of my fellowship and beyond.” – Claudia Mazur, Waquoit Bay Reserve
About the Program This fellowship program honors the legacy of Margaret A. Davidson, a visionary and pioneer in the
world of coastal resource management. The Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship emphasizes
professional development, mentoring, and innovation, and o�ers students admitted to or enrolled in
a master’s or doctoral program the opportunity to conduct research within one of the 29 national estuarine research reserves. For more information, and to see a list of the full 2020 to 2022 cohort,
visit coast.noaa.gov/nerrs/research/davidson-fellowship.html.
Program Timeline Summer 2021 – Call for applications for the 2022 to 2024 cohort December 2021 – Applications due for the 2022 to 2024 cohort
August 1, 2022 – Start date for the 2022 to 2024 cohort
Copyright © 2021 NOAA O�ce for Coastal Management, All rights reserved.